What's new in ag? A collection of five new items: March 27-March 31

1st Farm Credit Services, AgStar Financial Services and Badgerland Financial have received preliminary approval from the Farm Credit Administration for their proposed merger.

This preliminary approval allows the organizations to move forward with the merger process. As member-owned cooperatives, the next step for the three organizations is a stockholder vote on the proposed merger.

Stockholders can expect to receive a disclosure packet with the specific information about the proposed merger in the near future, and each organization plans to have informational meetings to answer questions in March. All three cooperatives remain committed to keeping members, clients and stockholders informed of the process leading up to, and following a stockholder vote.

The merger proposal must be approved by each organization¹s voting stockholders. For this purpose, each organization has called a special meeting of stockholders to be held in early April. If the stockholders of the three cooperatives vote in favor of the proposed merger, the planned effective date of the merger will be July 1, 2017.

Rod Hebrink, the President and CEO for AgStar Financial Services since 2014, will lead the proposed merged organization. Before that, Hebrink served as AgStar¹s Chief Financial Officer for nearly 30 years, providing broad organization leadership to numerous functions during his tenure.

The headquarters of the proposed merged organization will be in Sun Prairie, Wis. While geographically fairly central for the new organization, the proposed merged organization is committed to a decentralized operating structure. No local offices will close as a result of the merger.

The Board of Directors for the proposed merged organization will be comprised of 14 member elected directors and three outside appointed directors. If stockholders vote in favor of the merger, the new board will have equitable representation of board members in approximate proportion to the number of stockholders from each of the three areas.

As with all Farm Credit merger requests, the agency¹s preliminary approval is subject to certain conditions, which will be described in detail for stockholders in the disclosure.

Topcon Agriculture introduces the new X35 — the next generation in the X-Family of touchscreen displays with advanced functionality.

Designed as a modular solution, the 12.1 inch console runs Topcon Horizon software, providing icon-based and user-definable views for a variety of farm-operating functions and designed to allow for easy upgrades depending on the operator’s needs.

“The X35 console adds to the Topcon premium range of agriculture solutions, including the user-friendly functionalities that made the X30 a reputable solution in the industry, and offering additional benefits for farmers,” said Markus Kalin, product manager.

“The new feature, Horizon XTEND™, allows users to manage control applications via mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones,” said Kalin. “Additionally, the Remote Assistance Tool allows technicians to remotely diagnose and fix issues, as well as agronomic consultants to advise and configure remotely,” he said. 

By connecting multiple Ag cameras to the X35, the operator can control and view multiple places simultaneously. 

The system includes ISO section control of up to 200 sections, designed to allow the operator to cover more sections in one pass with larger implements.

“As with previous X30, the X35 display is an all-in-one system with full ISOBUS Universal Terminal (UT) and ISO Task Controller. It provides variable rate control (VRC) for up to eight products,” said Kalin.

The X35 is designed to allow full data management capability through its cloud-based technology.

 “The user can seamlessly transfer data such as soil testing, yield maps and crop sensors from the X35 to the cloud, where it is accessible from the office or other machines,” said Kalin. Using data management solutions, such as the Topcon MAGNET® Mobile AG Network, farmers can add value to their data, optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources. This is where the present connects to the future, and the new generation of displays is ready for both.”

Because using the right grease for the job can prevent expensive equipment damage, WD-40 Company is introducing WD-40® Specialist® Greases, a family of convenient solutions for automotive, construction and farming professionals dealing with a variety of specialized lubrication challenges. 

The WD-40 Specialist Greases line includes Superior Performance True Multi-Purpose Grease, Heavy-Duty High Temperature Grease, Heavy-Duty Extreme Pressure Grease and Marine-Grade Water Resistant Grease. The products are interchangeable with each other, meaning they won¹t cause cross-contamination issues that compromise performance and effectiveness. The greases also excel in extreme conditions and protect against rust and corrosion.

WD-40 Specialist Superior Performance True Multi-Purpose Grease is designed to be the ultimate high-performance, all-in-one grease. Formulated with calcium sulfonate technology, the premium product provides superior lubrication and long-lasting performance* under extreme pressure, high temperature and severe marine conditions. 

³WD-40 Specialist Superior Performance True Multi-Purpose Grease is engineered to be the only grease you¹ll ever need,² said Dr. Ernest Bernarducci, vice president of research and development at WD-40 Company. ³It is a versatile, all-in-one solution engineered to provide long-lasting corrosion protection.² 

The lithium complex-based greases in the WD-40 Specialist line of products offer the following benefits:

• Heavy-Duty High Temperature Grease: Engineered to withstand heavy mechanical loads and extreme temperatures, it is ideal for heavy-duty trucks, construction and agriculture equipment.
• Heavy-Duty Extreme Pressure Grease: With exceptional load-carrying ability, anti-wear protection and high dropping point properties, it can be used in a variety of automotive, construction and agricultural applications. 
• Marine-Grade Water Resistant Grease:Engineered to stay in place in the presence of water and provide superior rust and corrosion protection in wet environments, it can be used on trailer wheel bearings, trailer chassis, water pumps, anchor reels and outboard motors.

New AccuTurn automated headland-turning technology from Case IH takes the guesswork out of turning on headlands, which gives you improved accuracy and reduces operator fatigue. Using software logic from the Case IH Autonomous Concept Vehicle (ACV), this next-generation Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) autoguidance technology provides hands-free, automatic and repeatable turns for increased productivity.

³Whether navigating expansive open spaces or smaller, irregular fields, AccuTurn automatically controls the entire headland-turning process with industry-leading path-planning logic,² said Leo Bose, Case IH AFS marketing manager. ³AccuTurn will give operators positive results throughout the crop production cycle. This is especially true as planting or seeding operations set the field up for agronomically correct layouts that can be precisely followed by side dressing, spraying, and harvesting for improved efficiencies and higher yield potential.²

Productivity-enhancing benefits of AccuTurn include:

• Turn-path planning and turn-speed optimization: Seemlessly navigate the tightest turns and position the tractor and implement into the next pass. The industry-exclusive Auto-speed feature provides automatic turn-path planning that adapts to each operation¹s speed, including maximum-turn-speed alerts.
• Precise product application to manage and control inputs: Intercept headlands or resume field passes with optimal implement position. This reduces inconsistencies seen through manual steering with mounted or trailing planters, seeders or fertilizer applicators at the end of the field.
• Multiple modes of operation: Two intuitive settings ‹ Automatic and Turn Now ‹ allow operators to customize the level of automation to their application at hand, from tillage and side dressing to planting and seeding.
• Flexibility for skip pass or pass-to-pass capabilities: Easily adapts to broadacre or row-crop applications for increased efficiencies and productivity.

PrecisionHawk Media

PrecisionHawk, a leading aerial data company, and Leonardo, a multinational high-tech security company, have collaborated to deliver to customers a new algorithm that automatically detects wheat nitrogen levels from drone-collected imagery. The Absolute Nitrogen Content app is available to the public in PrecisionHawk’s Algorithm Marketplace.

PrecisionHawk Media

The Absolute Nitrogen Content app is designed to support variable rate prescription applications in wheat fields and uses imagery collected by multispectral sensors. Wheat growers and producers will be able to upload field imagery and select the app to automatically view nitrogen levels in their crop. Nitrogen fertilizer is a high expense for farmers, and this has resulted in increasing demand for tools that curb costs. 

Drones are being adopted by farmers as a tool in precision agriculture to provide insights that are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with current technologies. The additional field data can be used to conserve resources and increase efficiencies.